Good Morning
by Silver Hyacinth
Summary: Wherein Hinata and Kageyama try to get used to being around each other again—and being an actual couple. — A short story set after the events of my fic, Sunset Ghost (I highly suggest you read that first).
1. You and Me

**おはようございます**

 **Good Morning**

* * *

 **第1章**

 **あなたと私**

* * *

"Tobio, wake up or you'll be late for school!"

Kageyama ignored his mother and rolled over onto his side instead, burying his face in his pillow with a groan. Outside, rain poured down in thick sheets and thunder boomed from above, the garage-band sounds of nature making it even harder for him to fall back asleep. It had been downpouring nonstop for three full days now—one of July's many storms—and Kageyama was still getting over his hate for the rain.

"Tobio, I mean it!" his mother hollered up the stairs. "Come down now, or you won't even have time for breakfast!"

He ignored her once again, pulling the covers over his head and hoping she would just give it up. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be the case. The distinct _click_ of his door opening came a few moments later, followed by a muffled giggle. Before Kageyama could flinch, a voice that was definitely _not_ his mother shouted, "Incoming, Tobio!"

"Shōyō, _don't_ —!" Kageyama shrieked as Hinata landed on top of him roughly, ignoring his protests, and bounced up and down on his chest like an excited kid. " _Owww_ , you idiot, you're gonna break my ribs!"

"Sorry! It's so much easier to wake you up now!" Hinata said laughingly, flopping down beside him with a gleeful giggle. "But you still _really_ like to sleep in."

"What even _are_ you?" Kageyama groaned in response, covering his face with a pillow. "You died like three times, and yet: _energy_."

"Twice," Hinata corrected. "Mm, technically just _once_... But anyway, we have to go now or we'll be late." He grabbed Kageyama's arm and pulled on it insistently, crawling back onto his chest and removing the pillow from his head. "Come on, get up! It'll take even longer to bike there since it's raining, so we really have to go _now_."

"No."

Hinata crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes in his best ultra-serious expression. "If you don't get up... I won't kiss you for _one entire month_." He met Kageyama's doubtful gaze with a hard, determined stare. "And _yes_ , I really mean it. I'll even stop talking to you!"

"Impossible," Kageyama sighed, but he lifted himself up anyway. Picking up Hinata, he tossed him over his shoulder and placed the laughing redhead safely out in the hallway. "Go get ready; I'll be down in a minute." He paused to shout after him as he headed downstairs, "And you better save me some food, dumbass!"

* * *

By the time they got to school, both of them were soaked. The rain was absolutely _freezing_ , and they'd probably end up with hypothermia if the storm didn't let up by the time they had to go home. Even after two months of living in Kamaishi, Kageyama still wasn't used to how cold it got.

Hinata didn't seem to mind, though—in fact, he'd convinced his family to move there after their reunion on the beach. He didn't even wear a jacket most of the time, although Kageyama always made him put on a scarf. After living so long as a ghost before, he probably wasn't used to the concept that he could actually die from weather conditions now, but he would have to grow out of that habit soon or Kageyama would end up having a heart attack worrying about him.

As they reached their lockers, Hinata's lips turned down in a familiar pout. "I wish we had homeroom together! G _wah_ , class would be _way_ more fun if you were there, too."

"I'd never get any work done," Kageyama muttered to himself.

"What?"

"Nothing." He slung his bag over his shoulder with a concealed smile and beckoned at Hinata. "Come on, I'll walk you to class. We're already late so it doesn't matter."

"Yay!" Hinata bounded after him with a grin. He clasped his hands behind his back as they walked with a low hum. "Hey, since exams are coming up, help me study at lunch?"

"Sure, but I doubt I'll be much help." Kageyama sighed forlornly. "I wish Yachi was here. She was such a good student, always explaining everything so clearly. I started passing all my classes after she started helping me!" He crossed his arms with a scowl. "But now I have to go through high school _again_. You'd think I would've retained _something_ , but my head is empty!"

"I still think she's around here somewhere," Hinata responded thoughtfully. "It would make sense, wouldn't it? Y'know, since you and I are both here, she should be, too. Plus, some things were different from before, so maybe she was born in, like, Yokohama or somewhere."

Kageyama scoffed. "Yokohama? Why is _that_ the first place you think of?"

"Shut up," Hinata huffed petulantly. "I'm just saying, you should be more optimistic."

"I'll start being optimistic when I'm dead— _Oh, wait_."

"Still not funny."

* * *

They reunited at lunch. It had fortunately stopped raining, so Hinata dragged Kageyama out into the courtyard to eat under the cherry blossoms. They were in full bloom, though they would probably only stay that way for another few weeks. Hinata wanted to spend every waking moment outside to enjoy them, he claimed. It was a little annoying, since they kept falling in his food, but it was a small sacrifice to see the redhead wearing such a big, stupid smile.

He was sprawled out on his stomach with a goofy grin, contentedly chomping on a cucumber slice. He glanced back at Kageyama as he finished it, smile widening in that way that made his heart stop. "Hey, what are we going to do over break? It's only two weeks away, so we should really start planning now."

He took a moment to study the way the sunlight hit Hinata's face before responding. "Hmm... haven't really thought about it. I want to go somewhere that isn't cold."

"Isn't cold..." Hinata paused, chopsticks half-dangling comically from his mouth. "Mm, what about Kumagaya or Tajimi? Natsu-chan said she wants to go to the beach."

"I said 'isn't cold,' not 'scorching hot,'" Kageyama snorted around a mouthful of rice. "You really have no concept of weather, do you?"

"Fine, then how about Akita?" the ginger supplied, ignoring his comment. " _Ooh_ , no, no, I know! We should go to Wakayama!" He sat up with so much excitement, the chopsticks fell out of his mouth. "They have an amusement park, an onsen, the Senjojiki rocks, and an aquarium!

"Oh, and then there's the quartz-sand beach! I was never able to swim before because I just sank right to the bottom like a rock, but now I can! Plus, I can _finally_ ride on a roller coaster, too!" As usual, he accentuated his speech with wild hand gestures that nearly struck Kageyama in the face several times. "We _have_ to go there!"

"Geez, calm down." He pushed Hinata's hand down with a grimace, retrieving his chopsticks and returning them safely to his bento. "You have to ask your parents first. Mine are going away over break, so it'd just be me coming along."

Hinata covered his mouth with a light giggle. " _Ooh_ , how exciting~"

"What are you, an elementary schooler? Shut up and eat your lunch before class starts again."

* * *

After school, the rain had started back up again, so Kageyama borrowed an umbrella from an upperclassman and went to meet Hinata by the school gates. As they wheeled their bikes through the streets, water swept past the sides of the road, sweeping leaves into the gutter. The persistent storm reminded Kageyama a bit of Tsukishima, though he knew rain spirits didn't exist in this world.

Hinata kicked his feet through the puddles childishly, eyes trained on the sidewalk to keep himself from tripping. His jacket was, as usual, absent, and the scarf had been slung around the straps of his bag in silent refutation. Kageyama rolled his eyes at that, pulling off his own jacket and securing it over Hinata's shoulders, despite his protests. "You're gonna die if you don't keep warm."

"I will _not_." Despite the denial, he adjusted the jacket with a slight pout.

"Don't make that face," Kageyama told him, rolling his eyes. He secured the umbrella under his arm and took Hinata hand, intertwining their fingers. He was still getting used to the feeling of his new warmth. "Tomorrow, we're going out to buy you your _own_ jacket, and I'm not taking no for an answer."

"Yeah, okay," he agreed reluctantly, squeezing Kageyama's hand and pressing their shoulders together. "But I really don't think I need one." He crossed his arms matter-of-factly. "I'm _only_ wearing this because I love you. And you're annoying when you're mad."

"I will _seriously_ smack you."

" _Uwahh_ , no!" Hinata dodged his swipe, laughing, and shot him a bright smile. "Okay, okay, I won't say anything else!"

They walked in companionable silence for the rest of the way, but neither of them really minded. Hinata's hand was a spot of warmth in the cold, and the sound of the rain against their umbrella was soothing. The sun was beginning to set in the west, painting the gray landscape in gentle shades of gold, though the warm colors were ruined by the cold gusts of wind.

Kageyama, jacket-less, buried their joined hands in Hinata's borrowed pocket until they reached his front door. He retracted his arm and zipped up the jacket in spite of the ginger's protests. "Keep this until tomorrow. If you're not wearing it, I'll kick your ass." He grabbed him by the shoulders when he laughed. "I mean it, Shōyō."

"Fine, fine," he waved his hand dismissively. "I promise I will. Now, you owe me something~"

"What, a kick in the shin?"

"Mm... nope, try again." He tapped his lips with a teasing, sunny smile, glancing up at him with a look that made Kageyama dizzy. Every time he flashed that smile with those eyes, it left his heart is his stomach.

He wrapped his arms around the smaller boy and shook his head slowly. "You're seriously gonna be the end of me, you know that?"

"Yep!" Hinata beamed and pressed up on his tiptoes to kiss him. " _But_ that's why you love me."

* * *

When he got home, Kageyama kicked off his shoes by the door and padded into the living room, where his mother was typing on her laptop. She glanced up at him when he entered, flashing a brief smile. "Ah, welcome home, Tobio! Hinata-kun isn't with you today?"

"I walked him back home since it was raining," Kageyama replied, pulling off his socks as he passed her to reach the stairs. "Speaking of Hinata, can I go with him and his family to Wakayama over break? Since you'll be gone?"

"Sure! That's perfect, actually." His mother closed her computer and folded one leg over the other. "I didn't want to leave you home alone, anyway, so I was going to suggest you go stay with your cousins, but this is even better! As long as Hinata-kun's family is alright with it, I'm on board."

"Great!" Kageyama covered his mouth when he realized he was shouting and flushed. "Uh, I mean; that's good. Thank you."

"Mm-hmm." His mom glanced at him with an amused eyebrow raise. "Alright, Tobio. Call Hinata-kun and let him know."

As always, she seemed to read his mind. Kageyama retreated up the stairs with a blush, ignoring her snickering as he shut himself in his room, discarding his bag on the floor and flopping back on the bed. Sometimes her intuition seriously scared him, but at least her eccentricity kept things interesting.

Flipping out his phone, he dialed Hinata's number, putting it on speaker as he pulled off his wet school jacket and replaced it with a dry sweatshirt. He picked up after only a few rings, answering with too much enthusiasm, as per the norm. "Tobio, my parents agreed to let you come along! Did you get permission yet?"

"As always, you jumped the gun," Kageyama sighed, picking up the phone and sitting cross-legged on his mattress. " _Yes_ , I got permission."

"Yay!" Hinata's screech nearly blew his eardrum out. "That's great, because I _sorta_ already got a list together of things I need for the trip... so I thought we could get them tomorrow!"

"You..." Kageyama rolled his eyes but couldn't help letting a little smile slip. "Fine, sounds good. But you're gonna need to tone it down about ten notches on the excitement meter."

"No can do, Tobio!" There were faint giggles in the background, the sound of running footsteps, and Hinata faintly shouting at his sister before he spoke again, breathless. "I'm so excited! I gotta go but I'll meet you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay, but I mean it about the—"

"Yeah, yeah; I got it! Love you, bye!"

The dial done clicked and Kageyama sighed heavily, throwing the phone aside and collapsing back on his bed with a tired sigh. _I have a feeling this is going to be a disaster..._

* * *

 **A/N:** The first chapter of the Sunset Ghost sequel is officially done! I'm really happy with it, but there may be some mistakes since I'm writing this with a bad cold, so let me know if there's any ^~^


	2. Warmth

**おはようございます**

 **Good Morning**

* * *

 **第2章**

 **温もり**

* * *

Kageyama rode his bike over to Hinata's early the next morning, covered in one of his father's old college sweatshirts and toting an umbrella. It had been raining on and off through the night, so he figured it was better to be prepared. Although, Hinata, of course, didn't share his sentiments.

He exited his house pulling on his left sneaker, Kageyama's jacket wrapped around his waist and a piece of toast in his mouth. He waved as he sprinted down the sidewalk and Kageyama shot him a glare in response as he swallowed the toast in one bite and slid onto the seat behind him. "You dumbass. Put the stupid jacket on."

Even without looking, he could tell Hinata was pouting. "But _Tobio_ , I really don't think it's that cold!"

" _Now_ ," Kageyama stressed. "I'm not taking you to buy a new jacket just so you can _not wear mine_ and freeze to death."

"Okay, okay!" Hinata pulled the jacket on as Kageyama put the kickstand up. "I was kidding. My mom made me help with chores, and I got sweaty."

The fact that that meant he had been wearing it previously—likely all night—made Kageyama happier than he would've ever liked to admit, and he tried not to blush as he took off down the street towards the shopping mall. Hinata held onto him from behind tightly, seeping a warmth into his back that helped distract from the chill of the wind as they coasted down a steep hill.

The shopping mall they'd chosen was fairly small, but it was a popular shopping spot for teens in the area considering it was closer than most of Kamaishi's popular shopping centers, but had just as many stores. As Kageyama rode into the parking lot and coasted to a stop by one of the bike racks, he could already see several of their classmates entering and exiting through the sliding glass doors.

He could feel himself scowling as Hinata hopped off the bike, bouncing a few steps ahead of him with a smile. Kageyama really hated associating with his classmates outside of school, especially the girls: they wouldn't leave him alone, always giggling and staring at him. The only person he could stand was Hinata, who was (unfortunately) the friendliest person on the planet.

Kageyama could see him smiling and waving at a few people as he secured the bike lock. But Hinata knew him well, of course, and migrated back to his side as he straightened, taking his hand and pulling him forward. "Come on, let's go! You don't have to scowl like that. There aren't even that many people."

"I guess," Kageyama sighed, but he tried smiling; for Hinata. "Where should we go first?"

The redhead withdrew a list from the pocket of his joggers with excitement—the list for the trip, probably. "Well... I need a swimsuit, first of all." He glanced up as they entered the mall, eyes combing the first floor. "Ah... I don't know where they would sell those. Let's look over there."

* * *

They crossed around a few decorative plants and clustered groups of teens, hands still linked, to reach the store Hinata had picked out. As they entered, Kageyama could see rows of T-shirts and other summer clothes, stacked up in rows of bright colors. Hinata made a beeline for the back corner, where several metal clothing racks held different types of swimsuits.

As he began sorting through them, Kageyama glanced back through the window at the mall's center, where sunlight came shining in through the arched glass ceiling. Luckily, the rain hadn't started up again, and the weather seemed to be becoming warmer as the morning progressed. Kageyama stripped off his sweatshirt at the realization, tying it around his waist as he turned back to Hinata.

He was holding up a pair of swim shorts covered in smiley faces and burst as laughing as Kageyama instantly made a face. "Ha! I knew you would react like that." He grinned, placing the offending swimsuit back on the rack as Kageyama moved closer, lightly bumping against his shoulder. "Come on, Tobio: Lighten up and help me pick one!"

Kageyama couldn't help but smile at that, and he rolled his eyes, nudging in beside him. "Fine. Move over, then."

They sorted through the racks together, until Hinata's arms were loaded with possibilities and he ducked into the dressing room. Kageyama waited patiently outside with his arms crossed, staring at the few other customers with disinterest. There weren't as many people as he'd been expecting: just a group of three girls he didn't recognize and a mother with her young son.

" _Tobiooo_ ~" Hinata's voice came from behind him teasingly. "What do you think?"

He popped out of the dressing room curtain with a penguin speedo and a wink, and Kageyama immediately grabbed a T-shirt and threw it at him with a squeak, choking on air. " _No way_! Get back in there!" He covered his face as a hysterical Hinata disappeared again, flushing in embarrassment as the three nearby girls giggled at him. _Gah. Stupid dumbass..._

He kept muttering to himself irritably until arms wrapped around him from behind and a now-clothed Hinata pouted up at him. "Aw, I'm sorry! Are you really that mad?"

Kageyama wanted to stay mad, but he couldn't with Hinata looking at him like that, so he growled in frustration and smothered him in a hug, earning a fit of giggles. " _Ack_! Tobio, you're suffocating me!"

"Shut up." Kageyama kept an arm around him, glaring sidelong at the giggling girls as they went to the counter to pay for Hinata's swimsuit. Honestly, sometimes, he really couldn't believe he'd fallen in love with such a dork.

* * *

"Ah... that was fun." Hinata stretched his arms over his head as Kaeyama unlocked his bike, staring over at the ocean on the horizon. Dark clouds were beginning to brew there, and the scent of rain lingered in the air. As thunder began to rumble off in the distance, Kageyama finally freed the bike, loading Hinata's bags into the front basket.

"Shōyō, get on. Let's hurry, before the rain hits."

"Ah, okay!" He jumped on quickly as Kageyama threw up the kickstand, starting back the way they'd come.

It had been useless to hurry him, considering it began to pour not even halfway back. Kageyama fumbled to hand Hinata the umbrella, but they were both already soaked by the time he managed to open it. Instead of braving the rain for another three blocks, Kageyama stopped at his house instead, ditching the bike and sprinting inside with Hinata behind him, arms loaded with bags.

They slumped behind the door as soon as it was closed, breathing twin sighs of relief. The storm continued in full force outside, and Kageyama peered through the glass at the rain running down the empty driveway, joining the rivers of water already in the street from the previous day. His parents would be faced with a monsoon whenever they got back.

Behind him, Hinata whined as he pulled on his wet clothes. "Man... my clothes are soaked!"

"Ah..." Kageyama closed the blinds, pulling off his shoes. "Wait here: I'll go get some dry clothes."

He padded upstairs, pulling off his wet shirt as he went. Thunder boomed even louder from outside as he rummaged through his drawers, faintly shaking the house. It continued on in a deafening crescendo as he pulled on a shirt and ran back downstairs, struggling not to drop the other clothes.

Hinata was waiting where he'd left him, wringing water out of his clothes. He gave up when Kageyama appeared with the fresh ones. He snatched them up gratefully and retreated into the bathroom, leaving a set of wet footprints behind. While he changed, Kageyama took the liberty of picking up their bags and hanging them up on the coat rack to dry, organizing the shoes so his parents wouldn't trip on them.

Stupid rain. He'd been trying to get over his innate dislike of it, but that was hard with nonstop storming like this. The roads were already beginning to flood, and according to the news, it wouldn't let up anytime soon. They weren't joking when they called it 'monsoon season.'

"Ouch!" Hinata yelped as he stubbed his toe on the bathroom door, stumbling back into the living room and nearly dropping his wet clothes. " _Gah_ , I _hate_ being alive."

Kageyama stifled a laugh. "I wouldn't jinx yourself."

Hinata punched him in the shoulder. "Shut up. I'm gonna put these in the dryer." On his way down the hallway, he had to hold up Kageyama's borrowed sweatpants with one hand, complaining over his shoulder, "Your clothes are _huge_!" He almost tripped over the too-long pant legs, whining until he was finally out of sight.

Kageyama grinned after him, feeling the familiar warmth in his chest that Hinata always gave him. Sometimes, he was a little suspicious of his happiness. Everything was so perfect, he just knew it was all somehow too good to be true.

Even so, if it was a dream or an illusion, he loved every minute of it.

* * *

After Hinata's clothes were in the dryer, they lay out on the living room floor under the breeze from the fan. Kageyama read a volleyball magazine while Hinata lay on his chest and stared out the window, tracing raindrops with his eyes.

"It's been raining foreverrr," he complained, rolling over to stare up at him from under the magazine. "How long will this storm last for, do you think?"

"I'm not sure," Kageyama sighed, setting down his magazine. "But judging by how _Seven Samurai_ it's looking outside, I would say not for a while."

" _Gahhh_." Hinata groaned and threw an arm over his eyes. " _I hate it_. We can't do _anything_ when it's downpouring like this!"

"That's not true," Kageyama said, wrapping his arms around him. "We could build a couch fort."

"You're a _genius_!" Hinata flashed him a blinding smile. "Uwahhh! I seriously love you!"

"Shut up..." Kageyama muttered in embarrassment.

Before Hinata could see him blushing, he grabbed him around the waist and rolled backward into a ball, laughing as the redhead burst into a fit of protestive giggles. He buried his face in Hinata's hair as he gave up struggling and hugged him in surrender.

Kageyama closed his eyes and smiled. "I love you, too, Shōyō... Very much."

* * *

 **A/N:** A little short, but it's got that pure, too-sugary established!relationship sweetness you all need and deserve 333


	3. Shirahama

**おはようございます**

 **Good Morning**

* * *

 **第3章**

 **白浜**

* * *

"It's... too... _early_." Hinata yawned between words, holding Kageyama's arm and weighing him down like a little kid who wanted to be carried. They were waiting for the train to Shirahama, the station mostly empty due to the early hour. Hinata's parents had left with Natsu to grab breakfast for them, leaving the two boys alone on the platform.

Kageyama nudged his shoulder, hoping to urge him into an upright position. "Come on; you can sleep on the train. The sooner we leave, the sooner we get to Shirahama."

"Ugh, _fine_ ," Hinata whined through his teeth, head lolling dramatically. He slid farther down the bench and Kageyama had to pull him back up again with an exasperated sigh.

"Just hang on a little longer." He wrapped an arm around Hinata to keep him from escaping again and stared around at the empty train platform. He'd never seen a station so dead before, but Hinata's mother was the type who wanted to utilize as much vacation time as she could—thus their early departure.

Normally, Kageyama would've been as tired as his weaker redheaded partner, but he was buzzing with excitement. This would be their first trip together, apart from weekend excursions to Tokyo for food and arcade games. He'd spent the entire weekend researching things to do in Shirahama and coming up with ways for them to spend some time alone together. They'd only be there for a week, so he planned to make the most of every moment of it.

As long as Hinata stayed awake, of course. He looked about ten seconds away from a dead sleep, and no manner of shaking or nudging kept his eyelids from drooping.

"Rise and shine, boys!" Hinata's angelic mother appeared—far too cheerful so early in the morning—and pressed a coffee into Kageyama's hand with a bright smile. "Come on Shōyō; you straighten up, too. The train will be here any minute."

* * *

"How long is the ride, again?" Hinata mumbled into Kageyama's shoulder after they'd boarded. The sun was just beginning to peek above the horizon, painting his face golden through the foggy train windows.

"Twelve hours, so settle in," Kageyama told him, smiling as he groaned. "Come on; it's not _that_ bad. Just sleep and we'll be there before you know it." He glanced over at Hinata's sister, who had already passed out along with her parents, before taking his hand.

Hinata smiled up at him tiredly. "Hey... kiss?"

"But your family..." Kageyama began uncertainty. He was still getting used to the whole PDA thing, and having Hinata's parents and little sister sitting across from them didn't help. They hadn't actively told either of their families about their relationship yet, and a witnessed kiss would be a bad way to do it.

"They're asleep," Hinata assured with a smile. "Please?"

Kageyama hesitated a moment, but Hinata's anticipatory gaze was enough to win him over. His lips were warm and he tasted of their improvised breakfast and of too-sweet spearmint gum. No matter how many times he did it, kissing Hinata still felt like coming home.

"Don't get carried away." Hinata moved to rest his head against Kageyama's shoulder with a laugh. "Hey, what do you think we should we do first? When we get there, I mean."

As usual, he switched topics way too quickly. Kageyama had gotten used to it, but it was still hard to keep up with sometimes—especially when he kissed him first.

"What do you want to do?" he finally managed, still dazed. "There are a lot of things to choose from."

"Hmm…" Hinata tipped his head back with a pensive hum. "Well… I think we can decide when we get there!" He rammed into Kageyama's side hard enough to wind him, tucking his knees to his chest and curling up in a ball against his side. "I'm gonna sleep now."

"Wha—" Kageyama tried to fidget, but Hinata held onto him stubbornly. "Are you serious? Shōyō—" Hinata's snore cut him off and Kageyama groaned in defeat. "Dumbass…"

He settled against the seat as best he could and moved to make more room for Hinata. He nuzzled further into his side in response, like a redheaded human cat. Kageyama's face softened at the sight and he brushed a finger across his forehead fondly. He always slept like a rock.

He was an idiot, but, God help him, Kageyama _really_ loved him.

* * *

"Tobio, wake up." Fingers brushed against his face and Kageyama leaned his cheek against them, lingering in half-dreams. He was content with the warmth, but the voice was persistent. "Come on, before everyone else wake up."

Kageyama blinked his crusty eyelids open compliantly and squinted down at Hinata's blurry face. "Mm… I'm up."

He sat up, realizing that he was wrapped around Hinata like a blanket as his arms straightened out with loud, painful cracks. Hinata extracted himself from his embrace with an amused smile as he rubbed his stiff neck. "I didn't know you were a sleep cuddler."

"Shut up," Kageyama muttered, hiding his flush against his shoulder as he looked out the train window. The countryside passed by in a blur of greens and browns, the ocean peeking out between arching tree branches. "How close are we to Shirahama?"

"About twenty minutes out," Hinata said through a yawn, shifting to rest against his shoulder again. "I'm still tired…"

"You slept for almost _eleven hours_ ," Kageyama said exasperatedly. "At this rate, you're going to pass out as soon as we get to the hotel. Are you going to waste the first day?"

"No!" Hinata said quickly, sitting up straighter and slapping his cheeks. "I'm awake!"

Kageyama laughed and pressed their shoulders together gently. He'd used the same strategy to motivate Hinata countless times, and it always worked. "That's better. Did you decide what you want to do yet?"

"Not yet." Hinata sagged again, Browns furrowing pensively. "There's so much to pick from…"

Kageyama decided it was a good time to utilize his list of alone-time activities. "How about we go to the beach? It's a good way to wake up." And he knew Hinata's still-sleeping parents would likely want to rest once they got there. It was the perfect chance.

Hinata beamed. "Ooh, that does sound fun! Let's do it!"

Before Kageyama could say anything, Hinata's sister woke with a loud yawn, soon followed by her parents. By the time they had fully awoken and collected themselves, the train was pulling into the station and there was no time left to talk.

Hinata's mom went into full action mode, shepherding them off the train and flagging down a taxi as soon as they stepped foot outside the station. The five of them (plus their baggage) crammed themselves into the small car and were off less than fifteen minutes after arrival.

Natsu and Hinata crowded against the window to watch the seaside pass by, as if they'd never seen the ocean before. It spread out for miles beyond Shirahama's cliffs, the dark water shining in the late afternoon sun like a polished sapphire. Birds circled over the coast, faint specks of white against the umber cliffs.

When their taxi rounded a bend, the ocean disappeared, replaced by sprawling coastside cityscape. The driver enthralled Hinata's parents with different Shirahama factoids as they pulled off the main highway and onto the seaside road leading to their hotel. It was tall with about a million windows, a line of guests streaming in and out of the huge double doors. Their car joined a long line of others pulling into the busy drop-off lane.

As they got closer, Kageyama craned his neck to look all the way up the side of the building. Flags were blowing in the seaside breeze and the hotel's first-floor windows were open to let the air pass through. Palm trees lines the entrance, although it was impossible to tell if they were real or not.

Their driver pulled up by the front doors and they piled out onto the sidewalk with their bags, each of them peering up at the intimidating building with awe.

Natsu tugged on Kageyama's sleeve and, never taking her eyes off the hotel, whispered, "It's as tall as Tobio-niichan!"

This made Hinata burst into laughter as Kageyama flushed a bright red. He still got totally embarrassed whenever Natsu called him 'niichan.' It gave him the sneaking suspicion she somehow knew they were together and was teasing him about it. Hinata, on the other hand, just found it hilariously funny.

"Let's go check in," Mrs. Hinata urged them, taking Natsu by the hand. "Before we get trampled out here."

* * *

After they checked in, they headed up the elevator to find their rooms. They were on the fifth floor, which Hinata's mother noted nervously. Kageyama would've comforted her if he wasn't busy panicking.

She'd gotten them _their own room_. Him and Hinata. In a room. Alone together. For an _entire week_. His heart was about to literally explode through his chest, but he couldn't act suspicious in front of Hinata's parents so he screamed internally and tried not to hyperventilate.

When they exited the elevator on their floor, his palms were sweating like crazy and he hid them in his sweatshirt pockets quickly. The five of them stopped in the hallway and Hinata's mother handed over their key. "Our room is just down the hall," she said with a smile that failed to reassure Kageyama. "Shōyō: Natsu, your father, and I are all going to lay down for awhile, but we'll meet you both for dinner later."

"Okay!" Hinata beamed and waved them off cheerfully as they headed down the hall. He turned to Kageyama after they were gone and frowned. "Uh… Are you okay? You look like you're freaking out."

"I— I'm fine!" Kageyama said too loudly, grabbing the key from him and quickly inserting it into the slot.

Hinata looked at him funny when the door handle didn't budge. "Tobio… it's five-twenty-one, not five-twenty-three. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Just fine!" He moved to the right door with an embarrassed cough. "I'm tired, is all…"

The deadbolt clicked blissfully and Hinata raised a skeptical eyebrow as Kageyama held it open for him. "Okay then…" He shrugged and headed past him into the room, dragging his suitcase with some difficulty.

Kageyama grabbed his own bag and followed with a relieved breath, scolding himself inwardly. _Don't lose your cool. Sharing a room doesn't have to be a big deal. It's not a big deal at all. Nothing has to happen—_

"Wowww!" Hinata laughed brightly, interrupting his mental rant as he rushed across the room to throw open the window. The ocean breeze blew his hair back as he stepped out into the small balcony. "It's so beautiful here!" He turned around and beamed at him. "Come look!"

The familiar warmth of his smile melted Kageyama's nerves and he stepped out beside him, feeling the breeze cool his overheated skin. He leaned against the banister and smiled back at Hinata. "Yeah… it really is."

They shared a long glance before Hinata eventually turned away, ears burning red. "Um… did you still want to go to the beach?"

 _Cute…_ Kageyama smiled into his shoulder secretively. "Yeah, let's do it. I think we have a few hours left before sunset. We should probably unpack first, though."

"Oh, yeah." Hinata padded back across the room to their suitcases and struggled to lift his onto one of the beds. "I think I… packed... too much…"

"Careful!" Kageyama rushed to grab the suitcase before Hinata could topple over and set it on the mattress carefully. "Geez, what did you even put in there? It weighs more than you do."

Hinata shot him and offended glance. "Hey, I only brought what I needed! We're here for a whole week, y'know."

"I'm only kidding." Kageyama nudged him as he opened up his own suitcase and started pulling out clothes. "Did you remember sunscreen?"

"Yep." Hinata unzipped the outside compartment of his bag as proof. "I have bug spray too."

"Good. Make sure you bring—"

A ball of fabric smacked him in the face and Kageyama stopped, pulling the shirt off his face as Hinata broke down in a fit of laughter. "The— the look on your face!" he gasped out between giggles.

Kageyama threw it back at him and Hinata shrieked, laughing even harder. He ran and tackled Kageyama in a hug that toppled them both over before more clothes could be thrown, laughing breathily against his neck. "Truce, truce!"

"Dumbass." Kageyama locked him in a tight hug and flipped into a sitting position, burying his face in Hinata's neck. He grew serious, pulling back to run his fingers along Hinata's face. "Shōyō… you're happy, right?"

"What?" Hinata laughed a little. "Of course I am!" He hugged Kageyama with enough force to nearly wind him. "What kind of a question is that?"

"Nothing…" Kageyama shook his head and hugged him back, closing his eyes as he listened to his steady heartbeat. "I'm just… really glad I have you back, is all."

"You dummy." Hinata's face softened and he pressed their foreheads together. "I'm glad I have you back, too."

They kissed and Kageyama held his hand tightly, basking in the warm reassurance of his touch.


	4. Moral Compass

**おはようございます**

 **Good Morning**

* * *

 **第4章**

 **道徳的なコンパス**

* * *

After unpacking, they grabbed towels and finally headed down to the beach. Hinata was giggly and kept tugging Kageyama along by the hand impatiently. It was hard not to be excited by the prospect of being alone together. Staring at Hinata's huge grin and shining eyes, Kageyama was busy trying to suppress all impure thoughts on their way down the elevator.

Hinata kept yammering the whole way, wearing a stupid smile on his face that was nearly blinding. "Uwahhh, this is so exciting! I've never been on a white sand beach before! I wonder if it's warmer than normal, or maybe colder?" He frowned. "Which is cool again? White, right?"

"What are you mumbling about?" Kageyama messed his hair good-naturedly. "We can just go find out now, y'know."

"Ahh, hey, you're right!" Hinata beamed at him and Kageyama's face burst into flame.

 _Dammit… Cute._ He released Hinata's head and took him by the hand. "Come on, let's go." He lead him out of the elevator and they paused by the door to find the best route to the beach. The woman at the front desk directed them to the western exit, which directly faced the shore.

"Wah, so pretty!" Hinata tugged on his hand, eyes shining lie a little kid's on Christmas morning. Kageyama didn't really hear the rest of what he said because he was so busy admiring the expression. Hinata didn't seem to notice, though. He tugged him down the long boardwalk leading to the beach, laughing giddily the whole way. Kageyama could practically see his tail wagging.

When they reached the beach, Hinata flung himself down into the sand with a loud holler. "Ahh, _Tobiooo_! It really _is_ cooler!"

"Get up, you dumbass." Kageyama couldn't help but laugh at his sad puppy-dog face. "Come on, Shōyō, don't you wanna go swim?"

"Ahh, you're right again!" Hinata popped up so fast, he created a cloud of sand. Kageyama caught him by the shirt before he could take off running again.

"What are you, a dog? Don't go running off." Kageyama laced their fingers together with practiced nonchalance. He was trying to act cool, but it was hard to do with Hinata's invasive blush and sheepish smile and stupid cute perfect face. _Dammit._

"We— We have lots of time, so we don't have to rush anything..." Kageyama cleared his throat to disguise the squeak.

"Yeah!" Hinata's all-encompassing smile was still blinding. "Let's go!"

He wrenched Kageyama forward by the arm, pausing at the very edge of the water. He started kicking off his shoes and Kageyama took a minute to glance around the long stretch of sand. There weren't many people out, but still a fair amount of vacationers sunbathing or splashing around in the shallows. The sun was close to setting, and people were just starting leave when Hinata pulled off his shirt. "What are you waiting for? Let's go!"

"Sorry." Kageyama huffed to pull off his shirt and waded in after Hinata, trying to control his fast heartbeat. Swimming together… It was so _coupley_. And sure, he and Hinata had been together for a while, but Kageyama still wasn't used to the idea of really dating him. Before meeting Hinata in his past life, he'd had no friends or any interest in romance, but to say his personality had done a 180 would be an understatement. He got flustered by the weirdest things, and he had no handle on his thoughts or emotions when Hinata was around.

Like then, for instance. Hinata waded slowly into the water, smiling back at him through chattering teeth. "Wow, it's c-cold, huh?" He giggled and splashed a wave at him. "Not as cold as home, though!"

"Dumbass—!" Kageyama splashed him back and Hinata shrieked loudly in protest.

"Cold cold cold _coldddd_!" He burst into bright laughter as Kageyama caught him roughly around the waist. " _Noooo_ , I yield! I yield!" Kageyama held him closer, feeling Hinata's wet skin against his when he pressed their foreheads together. He smelled like salt and his fingers were already rough from the water.

 _Beautiful..._

"You know, more and more lately, your face gets this really soft look." Hinata's fingers brushed against Kageyama's cheek. His face broke into a soft, sunny smile. "I really like it."

"You…" Kageyama couldn't help but kiss him when he said stuff like _that_. The way his fingers curled into Kageyama's shoulders and the way he smiled into the kiss made his knees weak. Moments like those were when he felt the most at home.

* * *

"Wahhh, fried squid!" Hinata held the stick of charred meat closely at eye-level—perhaps _too_ closely. Kageyama watched him with a nervous grimace. He looked like he was about to stick it in his eye socket. "Is it really safe to eat this?"

"Dumbass, you'll poke your eye out like that." Kageyama smacked the stick out of his hand. "Don't play with your food."

Hinata's mother chuckled from across the table. "Aha, Tobio-chan does all the scolding for me."

Kageyama flushed when everyone laughed. "Hey— That's— It's because—!" He gave up and shoved a bite of squid into his mouth before he could let slip any incriminating evidence. It was much harder concealing their relationship than he'd thought. In fact, it was almost crazy that neither of their parents had figured it out yet.

"He just knows me well," Hinata spoke up. He picked up a stick of squid and bit into it with a huge smile. "He's always keeping me from tripping or eating too fast or forgetting things. Oh, and he reminds me to put on sunscreen! Right, Tobio?"

Kageyama froze. Hinata paused mid-chew, eyes going wide as he realized what he'd just said. His parents eyed them both and Natsu giggled quietly into her water glass while they shared a panicked look. Hinata swallowed and his face blossomed into a bright shade of red that Kageyama tried _really hard_ not to find cute. It was no time to be pining: they were gonna be found it. They definitely were. There was no way they wouldn't realize after _that_ , right? He looked to Hinata's parents to answer the unspoken question, probably looking like he was approaching an executioner's block.

For a moment, Hinata's mother seemed to be thinking, but all she did was laugh. It felt like a gunshot to the chest and Kageyama sagged over his plate while she slapped his shoulder jokingly. "Geez, you two really are close, huh? You have such a good friend here, Shōyō!"

"Haha… yeah." Hinata gulped, fiddling with his chopsticks. "That's totally right!"

Kageyama could read the relief written on his face clear as day. Hiding things had never been Hinata's forte—in fact, it was a surprise that he'd managed to hide their relationship for so long, already. _Kageyama_ was the one who was nervous about telling everyone, but it was mostly because he had some sort of selfish predisposition to keep Hinata to himself, which was way too embarrassing to admit to anyone.

 _Dammit!_ Kageyama roared inwardly, stabbing his chopsticks into a piece of squid with enough force to shake the table. He chewed it while Hinata watched on with a raised brow.

There was no way he was really _that_ selfish. How lame was that? Just thinking about it made him want to curl up and die. Being protective of Hinata was one thing, but not even wanting to tell his _parents_ about them was just insane. Kageyama Hopes it was simply nerves over whether they would accept them or not. They were both guys, after all: it was hard to judge how anybody would take the news.

But he didn't really give a damn about _that_. He loved Hinata and he'd shout it from the rooftops if he had to. So what really _was_ it?

He smacked his face against the table. _Gahhh, I feel like I'm thinking way too hard about this!_

"Nii-chan," Natsu shrieked, "Tobio's head is smoking!"

* * *

"Are you ready to sleep?" Hinata stood in the doorway of the bathroom, yawning into the sleeve of Kageyama's shirt. "The sun set already."

He nearly dropped his toothbrush when he turned, coughing to keep from choking when he inhaled too fast. "Wh— Shōyō, _what the hell_?! Take that off!"

Hinata pouted, hugging himself to protect the baggy shirt. "No! I like your clothes!" He held the sleeves to his face and peered through at him. "They're warm, and they smell like you…"

 _Ugh… Be still, my heart!_ Kageyama slammed his fist against the bathroom counter, nearly cracking the toothbrush in half. _I can't do it. There's no way I'll last the night sleeping next to him._ He clapped his hands together—earning a startled exclamation from Hinata—and prayed to the ceiling. _God, if you're up there, please give me the strength to get through this!_

"What the heck are you doing?" Hinata tugged on his sleeve. "Can we _please_ sleep now? I'm ready."

 _Dammit, don't say it like that!_ Kageyama was about three seconds away from a blow-out nosebleed. "You… You go ahead…" _Restraint, restraint, restraint, restraint._ He was almost stabbing himself with the toothbrush.

"Okay… Whatever you say." Hinata shrugged and as soon as he was gone, Kageyama slammed the door and collapsed against the counter.

There was no way in hell he was going to last an entire _week_ sleeping in the same room. No way. He was a human, after all: he had needs! He wasn't some chaste saint who could ignore their boyfriend sleeping literally _ten feet away_. The two of them had never done anything more than kissing, and Kageyama was totally losing his willpower. Hinata didn't seem to notice his restlessness, but Kageyama didn't want to bring it up until he was sure Hinata would be okay with it.

 _Keep it together._ He shook his head, making eye contact with himself in the mirror. _'Don't be a common animal, King!'_ That's what Tsukishima would've said. _You just need to stay cool. There's plenty of time to talk it out later. Stay strong._

Satisfied with the temporary solution, Kageyama apologized to his toothbrush and put it back by the sink. "Shōyō, I'm coming out now!" He clicked off the bathroom light, but when he wandered into the room, Hinata was already fast asleep. He was curled into a ball, mumbling softly when he heard Kageyama's voice.

Kageyama sat on the edge of his bed and covered his face, internally screaming. _What kind of test is this, God?!_ He slapped his cheeks a couple times, but it didn't seem to work. His heart kept pounding against his ribcage like a persistent MMA fighter.

 _Shield!_ Kageyama flipped the blanket over his face, hugging it to cocoon himself behind the fluffy barrier. _You're gonna sleep like this until you can handle it, you weakling._

He was a bit hard on himself, but what was a guy supposed to do? Life was way too cruel…

* * *

" _That was the worst night of my life_." Kageyama stared blankly at the ceiling as dawn broke through the curtains. He hadn't gotten even a single _minute_ of sleep the entire night. Fun fact: Hinata talked in his sleep, which he hadn't known before. But he said mostly one thing—Kageyama's _name_. He'd spent the whole night listening to it and trying not to weep. What kind of shounen-manja-type scenario was he living in, exactly?

"Mmnn… Bright. " Hinata scrunched up his face and yawned, using a pillow to block out the early morning sun. "Tobio... What"—he yawned again—"time is it?"

"S-s-seven, I think…" Kageyama nearly bit his tongue, swallowing hard to keep from yelping. _This is pathetic, dammit! Be a man and pull yourself together, for Shōyō's sake!_ "Did you w-want to get up now?"

"Can we?!" Hinata sprung up and nearly fell out of bed, crossing the room to pull open the curtains farther. He turned back to him, smile even brighter than the sunlight he was letting through. "Hey, Tobio, let's go out on the balcony. I want to see a Shirahama sunrise!"

Kageyama tossed off the covers before his heart could even finish skipping a beat, following him out on the balcony. They leaned against the railing side by side to stare out at the horizon. The sun painted the sky a blend of golden and soft silver, reflecting off the ocean's crystal-clear surface. When Kageyama closed his eyes, he could taste the salty air the salty air and heat the seagulls that circled the coast. Shirahama really was beautiful.

"Wow… It looks like the ocean goes on forever," Hinata mused. He leaned over the railing, tilting his head back with a long exhale. "Ah, the sunlight feels good…"

Kageyama reaches out for him Hinata opened one eye inquisitively. "Tobio?" He smiled when Kageyama's fingers brushed against his cheekbones. "You've been acting weird lately. Is something up?"

"Not really." The light hitting his hair made a gentle halo across his forehead. It reminded Kageyama of old days spent at Madoka's shop, watching him trace patterns on the dusty floor. The memory left him with an odd sort of sadness and he pulled Hinata closer. "More and more lately, I'm feeling really… nostalgic."

"Nostalgic, huh?" Hinata nestled into his chest and peered out at the ocean. "Me too. But I like it better now that I can actually be here with you." His arms tightened around Kageyama's waist and he closed his eyes. "I miss the others a lot, but… I'm really happy this way, you know?"

Kageyama's face softened and he buried his face in Hinata's hair, inhaling his familiar smell. "Yeah, I do…"

They looked out at the ocean, watching the sun slowly claw its way farther into the sky. It made the white sand look like an endless stretch of sparking diamond, dispersed by waves of sapphire sea. Tongues of sunlight crept across the blue expanse, highlighting the morning beach-goers setting out their umbrellas. At the pier, fishermen were preparing to leave, untying their boat from the dock. The day was already well underway.

"Good morning, Shōyō," Kageyama whispered into Hinata's shoulder. His lips curled into a hidden smile. "I really missed saying that to you."

* * *

 **A/N:** I love these dumbass dorks so very much and I'm glad they're back. Smh Kageyama is most relatable lmao. Anyway, I hope you guys liked the chapter, and thanks so much for your patience! I know I suck at updating, but that's only because I really want to give you all the best content possible ^-^


	5. The Beach Town

**おはようございます**

 **Good Morning**

* * *

 **第5章**

 **ビーチタウン**

* * *

"What are you two thinking of doing today?" Hinata's mom asked them when they met up for breakfast.

"We hadn't really planned anything special," Kageyama told her, halfway through a piece of toast. He paused to pass Hinata a napkin before he could spill his egg, which was dangerously dangling from his chopsticks. He accepted it sullenly and ate further over his plate.

Ignoring the predictable near-disaster, Hinata's mother patted Kageyama on the arm. "If you want suggestions, I think you should go explore a bit. The three of us were planning to go to the beach since we missed out yesterday, but I doubt you two will want to go again so soon."

"I think it's a good idea." Kageyama gently nudged Hinata for confirmation.

He lowered his chopsticks, only half listening to the conversation. "Ah… yeah! I wanted to go into town, anyway."

"Great!" Hinata's mother beamed, almost suspiciously joyful. "I'll give you boys some money and we can meet back up for dinner later tonight."

Kageyama's fingers tightened on his chopsticks. They could spend the whole day alone together. _Perfect_. He wanted to get as much time in with Hinata as he could. With school and Kageyama's part-time job at a convenience store, they never really got to go on dates, so his plan was to cram in as many as he could while they were in Shirahama. The situation was even better considering Hinata's parents were giving them absolute freedom—which was odd, but Kageyama certainly wasn't about to complain.

He was almost giddy planning all the things they could do. He'd never been into romance, but imagining cliché movie dates and holding hands down the street made him blush like an idiot. Maybe it was because it was _Hinata_. If Kageyama was totally honest, Hinata turned him into a blubbering mess. It was a little embarrassing...

"—heard that there's a huge arcade nearby," Hinata's mother was saying when he snapped out of it. "You two could probably spend a few hours there. There's four floors."

"Uwahhh, no way!" Hinata's eyes lit up at the prospect. He dropped his chopsticks to tug on Kageyama's sleeve. "Can we, can we?"

"Yeah… Sure." He had to hold back a stupid smile. Hinata was _too_ cute: he almost couldn't handle it. "I think it'd be fun. We can go right after breakfast."

His real motive: _The perfect chance for a first date…_

* * *

After eating, they grabbed backpacks and headed out into town. The sky was a perfect crystal blue, dusted with sparse white clouds blown along by the light ocean breeze. Seagulls coasted overhead, tiny white specks filling the cool air with their calls.

With fewer clouds to block out the strong sun, it was warmer than it had been the day before. Hinata had donned khaki shorts and a loose T-shirt, and he was still complaining about the heat. Kageyama, who had lived through many Tokyo summers in his childhood, had little sympathy. At least there was a breeze, he offered the redhead in mild consolation. It would be less roasting once they left the beachfront.

Unlike back home, the streets of Shirahama were broad and decorated with old-fashioned lamp posts. There were crowds of vacationers everywhere, talking loudly in big groups as they swarmed from place to place like ants. Kageyama had to grab Hinata's hand to keep from losing him. He bounced incessantly on the balls of his feet, itching to sprint off. "Hurry up, Tobio: I want to see _everything_!"

"We'll have plenty of time." Kageyama reigned him back in once again. "Settle down, would you? I don't want you to get lost."

"I'm just so excited!" Hinata replied with a huge, giddy grin. "This'll be the first time we get to do something fun together in a while, right?" Like he was reading his mind. "It's like a date, right?" _Seriously_ , like he was reading his mind.

"Geez…" Kageyama flushed—unfortunately not because of the heat. "How can you say stuff like that so earnestly, huh? Are you trying to kill me?" His heart was all ' _badump_ ' and ' _guwah_ ,' like some shōjo manga protagonist.

"Easy: I can say it 'cause I mean it!" Hinata squeezed his hand, giggling when Kageyama's face turned even redder. "You've got a weak constitution, eh, Kageyamaaa-kun?"

"Shut up," he grumbled, nudging the ginger towards the arcade entrance when he leaned far to the left. "It's embarrassing... Walk straight, would you?"

Hinata giggled, ducking underneath Kageyama's arm playfully when Kageyama held open the door for him. He started to tease him again, trailing off when he laid eyes on the inside of the arcade. "Uwahhh…. Whoa, it's so big!"

"Your mom _did_ say it was four floors." Kageyama took his hand again, pointing at a map he spotted on the far wall. "Come on, let's look there."

They crossed through a stream of people—mostly other excited teenagers—and approached the map, which showed a layout of each of the four floors. There were so many different things crammed into each one, picking a place to start seemed nearly impossible. From laser tag to bumper cars to karaoke, they had _everything_. There was even a freaking _movie theate_ _r_. Hinata's mother had inadvertently suggested the optimal spot for a date—for _several_ , actually.

"So much…" Hinata tugged on his sleeve. "Tobio, how are we gonna pick something? I wanna do that, but also that." He stabbed at different points on the map, frowning so deeply that Kageyama was sure it must've hurt his face. "But _that_ one—!"

"Relax," Kageyama scolded lightly, feeling his own cheeks pinch. "You're stressing me out just watching you. We'll have time to do everything. We have all day, y'know."

"Ooh… you're right!" Hinata nearly ripped his arm off dragging him toward the elevator. He seriously had a gravitational force of his own… "In that case, laser tag first!"

* * *

"You... have a crazy amount... of stamina…" Kageyama's lungs were probably crying. He'd forced the over-eager Hinata to take a break after two straight hours of running from place to place without pause. They had settled down at a tiny café on the third floor, where Kageyama was struggling to get his second wind. More like third or fourth, really. He'd hit his second somewhere between the bouncy castle—yes, _bouncy castle_ —and the DDR room.

Hinata found his exhaustion hilarious. "You're such an old man, Tobio." He made a grab for his dorayaki, lunging forward to steal a bite while Kageyama was busy defending. "Haha, gotcha!"

It was hard to be mad when he was smiling so widely, with bean paste smeared across his cheek. Kageyama grabbed a napkin to wipe his face, sighing in defeat. Hinata always won when it came to battles of will—likely because Kageyama was so weak when it came to him. His stupid smile and cute face and laugh and— and— _everything_ was just so damn _infuriating_!

"You're scowling," Hinata commented around a mouthful of his own pastry. "It totally ruins your handsome face."

"Dumbass—" Kageyama's dorayaki got caught in his throat and he quickly gulped down tea to keep from choking. "Don't— Don't say stuff like that so suddenly, or you'll really kill me!" It was hard enough to hold back when they were sleeping _five feet_ from each other, but the dumbass just had to go and tell him things like _that_. He really had no concept of TPO…

"What, it's true!" Hinata declared, poking him between the eyes lightly. "Besides, you should be happy, right? We're spending time together, after all." He swung his legs back and forth underneath the table, flashing another grin. "I know I'm _suuuuper_ happy! Spending all day with you is way better than being back home with all the gloomy rain."

"Yeah…" Kageyama definitely couldn't argue with that. "Don't get me wrong: I _am_ happy." He put a hand to his chest. "I just feel like my heart can't handle it sometimes: it's all _guwahh_ , like it's gonna pop right out! But I can't just come out and _say_ that. It's way too embarrassing." When Hinata didn't say anything, Kageyama's face grew even redder. " _Dammit_ , say something already and stop me from blabbing!"

"No, it's— I just—" Hinata covered his face, failing to hide the blush staining his ears. "Uwah… I really didn't expect that."

"Dumbass." Kageyama chugged the rest of his tea to distract himself from his exploding heartbeat. _Shōyō is worth the pain, dammit. Be a man!_ He collected himself at the bottom of the cup and slammed it back down with renewed determination. "Oi, whatever you want to do today, let's do it all! Since I"—he choked on the words a bit—"l-love you, after all!"

 _Gahhh, I really said it..._ He almost wanted to die.

"E-eh?" Hinata peeked out from between his fingers in apparent mortification. "You dummy… Everyone is staring at us now." Despite the complaint, a goofy grin was growing on his face.

Kageyama's heart sang at the sight. If being affectionate got _that_ kind of reaction out of Hinata, he'd have to do it more. Baby steps, though: holding hands under the table was more than enough to set his chest aflame. When it came to Hinata, Kageyama truly was a hopeless romantic…

* * *

By the time they finished up at the arcade, dusk had settled thickly over the coast, painting the sky a mix of dark indigo and violet hues. The shrill seagull calls had vanished, leaving the night silent save for the chirp of crickets and nighttime noises of the city. The lamps along the street shone soft golden light on the sidewalks, illuminating the path back to the hotel.

Hinata held Kageyama's hand loosely, walking close enough for their shoulders to touch. "I don't think I want to go back yet," he murmured, looking up at the stars that were beginning to dot the sky. "Can we go to the pier?"

"I _did_ say we could do whatever you wanted," Kageyama replied, switching directions to head for the beach. He wanted to make the night last as long as possible, too.

The pier was well-lit by torches that had been set up every few feet, helping to ward off the chill of the breeze so close to the ocean. Vendors lined the dock, selling everything from decorative shells to sticks of colorful dango and good luck charms. It was impossible to look at everything at once, but Hinata sure did try.

"Tobio, look at that!" He pulled him over to one stand, where he only paused for half a second. "Ooh, and there! Here, too!"

"Ow— Slow down! You're gonna rip my arm off." Kageyama grabbed him to reign him back in, locking his elbow so Hinata couldn't pull him ahead. "Let's walk like this." He hid a blush behind his hand. "Because… this _is_ a date, right?"

The killing blow was a success. Hinata's face turned redder than his hair, and all he could manage was a stiff nod in response. Satisfied with his victory, Kageyama took the lead—at a slower pace. "Pick _one_ thing to focus on first."

"Ah…" Hinata thought about it for a long moment. "Let's go there, then." He pointed across the pier at a small vendor's booth selling touristy trinkets. _Of course_ he'd pick the most cliché spot.

 _So predictable..._ Kageyama bit back an amused laugh. "Okay... Let's go."

"Really?" Hinata's eyes shone when he smiled. "Usually you'd be all like, ' _Bwah_ , dumbass, don't fall for tourist traps!'" He pulled a face, flattening his hair down in a crude impersonation.

"I don't talk like that!" Kageyama denied, swatting Hinata's hands away from his head. "Quit doing that! Gah, damn dumbass."

Hinata burst into laughter, quickly grabbing his hand again while happily swinging their linked arms. "Haha, see, see: you totally talk that way!" He lowered his voice as they approached the booth. "I'm only kidding! How about I buy you something to make up for it?"

"I'm not a kid," Kageyama grumbled irritably. "You don't have to do that."

"I'm gonna do it, anyway!" Hinata darted ahead of him, enthusiastically greeting the booth's elderly owner.

While he started up a fervent conversation, Kageyama bent over to study the wares. There were Shirahama keychains, antique good luck charms, and countless other tourist-trap oddities. It was the kind of stereotypical vacation souvenirs that Kageyama hated, but Hinata was utterly fascinated by everything—and he was way too cute to refuse.

"Ooh, look at these!" He tugged on Kageyama's arm to get his attention, pointing at a set of woven wristbands. "Awesome… They're a little like us, don't you think?"

"Hmm." Kageyama studied them closer, narrowing his eyes. One was blue and black, while the other was orange and brown, both intricately woven in a pattern that almost resembled the ocean. "Eh… I don't see it."

"Really?" Hinata huffed. "Look: this orange one is me, and this blue one is you. You seriously don't see it at all?"

"Nope."

"You dummy." Hinata plucked the bracelets off their stand and passed them to the woman. "We'll take these, please!" Kageyama tried to protest, but Hinata shot him one of his rare death glares. "I don't want to hear it, _Kageyama-kun_."

Oof... he was really in trouble, after all.

* * *

They walked back along the beach to make the night last even longer. The moonlight glowed across the surface of the ocean, disappearing in ripples as Hinata waded through it, skimming his feet across the water.

"You're going to freeze like that," Kageyama warned, even though _he_ was the one holding Hinata's shoes while he splashed around. "It'll be your own fault if you catch a cold."

The redhead laughed him off. "Yeah, but if I get sick, you'll take care of me, right?"

Kageyama couldn't argue with that, so he clicked his tongue and moved further ahead. "Whatever… Just hurry up, or we'll miss dinner."

"You should loosen up a little." Hinata splashed water at him, giggling when Kageyama shrieked like a stepped-on cat. "Tobio, don't you like the beach?"

"Not when it's this cold," he muttered, watching the moonlight paint shadows across Hinata's face. "The sand is warmer, and... I think I like watching you better, anyway."

"Ah, so your ultra-rare romantic side makes an appearance," Hinata teased, giggling when Kageyama scowled at him. His lips twisted into a warm smile and he turned to look out at the horizon, hands on his hips. "Instead of being watched… it's really better if you're standing beside me, y'know?"

"Dumbass…" Kageyama grumbled—even though he was already taking off his shoes.

* * *

 **A/N:** The next chapter is finally here! Thank you all for your great patience with my unreliable self huhu (*ﾟｰﾟ)ゞ I appreciate it very much. Anyway, hope you all enjoy the chapter! ヽ(〃v〃)ﾉ


End file.
